Mending
by Valjavertjinn
Summary: Calendiles AU about Jenny restoring Angel's soul.


Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy. Joss Whedon does.

Mending

It's getting better. Jenny still feels a sharp stab of pain in her neck if she turns her head too quickly, but the bruises are fading. Rupert tells her this as he stokes the hair back from her face, and then places a gentle kiss on her brow. He thinks that she's still fragile, but she knows that she's mending.

Though the invitation has been revoked, he still insists on lacing the windows with crosses. A knot of garlic hangs down from the doorknob, and it thumps softly against her leg as she slips out into the night.

Jenny still hasn't told any of them. She dug the disk out from the crack a week ago, but she had trouble finding another orb. When she happened to spot one weighing down some papers on his desk, she nearly burst out laughing. Rupert hadn't seemed to notice that it was missing the next day.

The candles and the herbs were easy to obtain. She now has everything she needs, and the only thing left to do is complete the ritual. She's just setting up in the library when Willow walks in.

Jenny can tell that the redhead immediately realizes that something is going on. But after Jenny carefully explains how she doesn't want to dash Buffy's hopes again, and that's why she had to keep it a secret, the girl isn't angry. Instead, she wants to help.

Jenny initially wants to refuse, but then she realizes that she needs all of the help that she can get. They set everything up on one of the library tables. The candles are lit, and she begins to chant. Willow looks on, waving the smoking bundle of herbs.

They're so close, almost halfway done, when he burst into the library, all gleaming fangs and yellow eyes. She doesn't know how he found out, but it doesn't matter. He makes straight for her, snarling furiously. For the second time this month, she is certain that she is going to die.

She's murmuring the curse frantically, casting desperate glances in Angelus' direction. But she's not fast enough. The vampire charges at her, snarling, and rams her away from the circle of candles surrounding the orb. She crashes to the floor, panic and terror flooding through her veins. Scrambling to her feet and backing away, she searches desperately for Willow. Jenny prays that the girl has fled. But she hasn't.

Willow has taken her place next to the orb and grabbed the translation. She begins to read, her voice quivering with fear, and Angelus turns towards her, a feral growl rumbling in his throat. When he starts in her direction, Jenny does the stupidest (and probably bravest) thing she has ever done in her life: she launches herself at his ankles in a flying tackle.

The vampire is caught completely by surprise. He stumbles, and she takes the opportunity to spring to her feet and give him an ineffectual punch in jaw (it was actually more of a smack, as she hadn't gotten her hand all the way into a fist yet, but it still hurt quite a bit). She's distracted him for the moment, although that might not be a good thing.

Jenny darts away, putting the banister and a few stairs between her and the vampire. If she can stay out of his reach, but keep his attention away from Willow, they just might finish this. That is, if Willow is powerful enough to complete the curse…

It appears that she might be. Her voice is gaining volume, causing Angelus to switch his focus onto the girl. Jenny doesn't think that she can pull off another stunt to keep the monster away from her. But she knows that she's not going to let him go over there and hurt Willow without trying.

She has just reached the bottom of the steps when the library doors lurch open once more. But this time, it isn't a vampire that has come.

Rupert Giles unloads his crossbow straight at Angelus, burying the bolt deep into his shoulder. The vampire jerks away from the table, where Willow is now shouting in a language that she could not possibly understand. Her eyes have an all-knowing, eerie look to them, as if she has seen thousands of years of bloodshed and death and knows that she will see countless more.

Buffy appears at Rupert's shoulder, and the vampire hisses at her. He pulls the bolt out without even flinching and carelessly tosses it aside. Buffy moves forward, until the two are face to face. She swings the first punch, and they're soon fighting for their lives.

Buffy seems to be dominating the battle, but Angelus takes the upper hand when he shoves the Slayer into a bookshelf and kicks her stake out of her hand. He pins her to the shelf and puts his hands around her throat.

At that moment, Jenny, frozen at the foot of the stairs, sees Willow toss her hear back, shrieking out the final words of the curse. The orb disappears in a flash of gold, and Willow's head drops back onto her chest. She blinks sleepily for a moment, but Jenny can only spare her a quick glance to make certain that she is alright before she turns back watch Angel let go of Buffy and sink to his knees, a small moan escaping him.

He whispers the name of his beloved, and she stares at him in awe. She then drops to the floor and hugs him fiercely, sobbing in his arms. They cry together, and it seems like they will never let go.

And then Rupert is there, and he murmurs her name and embraces her, telling her to never do anything like this again. But he's also smiling when he says this, and planting kisses on top of her head, and she loves him so much that it seems as if her very heart will melt into shimmering liquid gold. And as she looks over at Willow, smiling bemusedly but happily; Buffy and Angel, now kissing, and Rupert, face aglow, she knows that she would do anything like this again in an instant.


End file.
